Crimson Development
by Taraka Dasmascus
Summary: [Evolution] When you've lost everything worth loving what do you fight for?... A chance to regrow a heart... [Chapter 2 up]
1. The Start of the End

**Time Line: **Picks up moments before the second movie(evolution) ends.  
**Summary:** Michael didn't awake from death to save selene. But someone came to aid that she never expected. The Vampires have a new leader; who is allied with the lycans, and Selene has never been more endanger.  
**Genre:** Angst, Romance, Drama, AU.  
**Pair: **Selene/Marcus, one sided Selene/Micheal.  
**A/N: **Just an idea I had. Review with your thoughts on it. Next chapter will be longer and up soon, hopefuly sometime next week. But bare with me, I'm typing this through exam week and I have no beta's.

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**Chapter One**  
The Start of the End

Marcus stood, fruitlessly clawing at the stone wall cutting him off from world. His bladed wings flexed, lashing out at the stone, not even dinting the surface. He snarled in anger, trying to calm his mind to think logically. He had found himself acting on mere emotions allot lately. He had to stop it. He was an 'elder', but now he was a hybrid; and not by choice. The blood of a vampire still ran strong in his veins, and the laws that screamed to be obeyed echoed in his head. His love for his brother was great; but was it worth all of this..?

He paused, a loud rumble shook the building. His eye grew with something a king to worry. His brother was out their, he could feel his pain almost like it was his own. With a roar, he braced his body and dug his claws into the stone of he door. His back twitched, his bladed wings flicking with the adrenaline that made his muscles jump. A snarl left his lips, grunting with the effort he hauled the door upwards, breaking through the barrier to the world. He let the wall go when it was high enough, steeping into freedom as the door fell back into place behind him, like he had never left.

He raced threw the labyrinth, water sloshing around him, his body dripping wet; so much had gone wrong. His plans and hopes for a future twisted and broken. He rounded a corner, a roar of his brother heard close, very close. He sprinted forward, his wings twitching at his back and his hands baling into fists, not minding his own claws. He heard rounds of ammo going off, heard the cry of his brother again. More roars filled the air. Changed lycans, new to the world, beasts, like his brother... With each roar that sounded into the air, he was starting to doubt himself, doubt that he could control his brother. By the time he rounded another corner, he was regretting freeing his brother. The corner he rounded brought him to his destination.

He stood their for a moment, watching the hulking for of his brothers were-wolf body arch and snarl, making every bullet and never slowing. The helicopter whirled above, Marcus snarled, his brother could not keep up with odds like this. He moved, his clawed hands wrapping around the wire of the helicopter that hung down, and he went to pull, attempting to even the playing field. But, his brother suddenly howled, and sprung out of the line of fire, straight for the body of a worn out x-death dealer, Selene herself. Marcus watched with a feeling of time slowing as his brothers fangs glinted in the dim light. As selene slowly tried to maneuver out of the way... Time sped up, Selene was hurled into a stone wall, she slipped down the wall smeared with her own blood and laid; silent and unmoving.

Marcus watched his brother stand, hidden from the fire of the helicopter he slowly closed in on his prey, the weakened form of Selene. Something stirred in Marcus, an urge to protect his own blood. He questioned it, Selene was not a direct descendent of him; she was a play toy of victors... His eyes narrowed, the urge was strong, instinct. He moved, not thinking it over as he sprung up between his brother and his prey. "William; Stop." The were wolf snarled at him unintelligently. Advancing despite his brother's presence. Marcus snarled, his hybrid form twitched as his strength and furry swirled in him. He didn't move out of his brother's path- the urge to protect over road his logic. "William; don't make me do this. Stop..." He were wolf lunged at Marcus, aiming to kill. Marcus cried out; not in pain, but in rage. His wings flared forward and he braced himself for his brother's body. They collided, Marcus's rage blinded him as he hurled his brother off his body and into the open line of fire from the helicopters. He leapt after him.

The bullets didn't rain down from the helicopter this time, the ones above where confused. The two brothers circled, lunged, snarled, slashed, fangs snapped, gnashed... Their blood spilled into the water- now red with gore. Crimson sprayed the old stone walls, Marcus's bladed wings gleamed with the same crimson. His claws raged threw the skin of his brother, doing more damage then the bullets of man could ever. The maw of a wolf buried into his shoulder, fangs ripping apart and trying to pull the pound of flesh from his body. The blades of Marcus fell; driving right threw his brothers body- the werewolf could hang on no longer. He was flung across the ruined building, colliding into solid stone that crumbled leaving the beast to fall into the water.

Marcus stood, body covered with blood that was not his own, but soon the wounds on his body mixed his brothers blood with his own. He advanced towards the location of his brother; his face grim with the realization he was hunting his own brother- but that feeling of protection still reared in him. His ears picked up a soft groan; Selene had shifted from unconscious and was awaking. This distraction might have been his last. His brother lunged up from the water, and pounced on him. He was pinned down into the gory water, his brother's maw caught in his clawed hands, forcing the beast away from biting him. He could feel his brother's claws digging into his chest, raking down it. The blades of Marcus rose, impaling his brother again. His back legs lifted, catching his brother in the chest and hurling him away. He jerked his blades as his brother slipped off them, more blood sprayed the air.

Marcus stood, his wounds bleeding freely; the water around him darkened, nearly brown. His brother stood, his fur matted with a gore, most of it his own. The were wolf was clearly weakened; he had slowed down, as if saving his energy for attacks that could benefit. Selene groaned again, and Marcus wisely kept his eyes on his brother; whose attention was drawn to his old prey. The wolf noted the easy kill, and lunged. Marcus couldn't look back and recall his exact attacks and movements; but he heard Selene's hiss; Seen her face contract from anger with confusion… the body of his brother lad at his feet, slashed apart to pieces.

They stood their like that for a while; eyes locked. Selene raised a gun, one of the guns from the men that had accompanied her. She was weak, slashes down her body having ripped threw her clothing, and had not started to heal- she had lost too much blood. She swayed, but her aim was perfect locked for him. She didn't have to fire. Marcus fell to his knees in the water, his wings falling limb. "You where right..." was all he spoke, his voice husky, but rough from pain.

Selene moved, walking forward her finger aching to squeeze the trigger. Here he was, The killer of Micheal. On his knee's before covered in his brothers blood. A brother he had fought against all odds to free- only to kill when he attacked her. "Why." Her voice was weak; she loathed the sound of it. She watched Marcus raise his head to look at her. Clearly he had thought, and wanted her to fill his head full of bullets. "Why..." he echoed, wondering how that simple question brought such turmoil to him. There was another pause, both loosing more blood threw those slow seconds. "I could not control him..." He admitted it, begrudgingly. "It was folly hope on my part to think that I could ever save him." He watched Selene as she raised an eye brow. "Save him?" Her voice as sharp, she was delaying her vengeance, for answers; his side of the story. "I had hoped, that by injecting him with the blood of a vampire, or hybrid; to breed sense and control into him..." He never gazed down at the body of his brother, so close, his body a mass of blood, like his own. "You failed." A statement, not a question. "I never got to try."

William's body twitched, a spasm from the electricity of his brain leaving. Marcus took no chances, his bladed wing falling to dislodge to neck from the shoulders. In that exact instant, a rain of bullets fell down onto them; Marcus shifted his senses, opening them wide. Vampyres, death dealers, and... Lycans?. He moved, fluid and swiftly. His body protected Selene as his arms pulled her into his body. His wings flared wide, and he lifted into the night.

He heard their words, their astonishment of the hybrid elder fleeing with their main target. He heard the sharp voice of a female who controlled them. Selene heard it as well, his grip tightened when her body tried to fight his hold. "You are in no condition." It closed the subject before it was open, his voice sharp, a hiss. She quieted; numbing to the loss of blood. Her submission was evidence to those long years she had served to Elders. Selene's eyes fell to Erika's. Even from the altitude of Marcus's wings she could see the loathing hate in those eyes. Erika had been one of the closest things to an associate Selene had had when Kraven was second in command. Before her life was turned upside down. The whole time, was Erika just waiting, planning her own rise to glory? The connection was broken between their gaze. Marcus nimbly dodged around the bullets that tied to hit him. As a hybrid speed was a given to him.

Erika stood, her eyes moldering with displeasure. "Even when I laid them before you, you still couldn't kill them..." The voice was soft, a whisper for only her to hear. She never dropped her eyes from the fleeing form of Marcus and Selene. "You disappointment me." the words didn't even seem to affect her, as if she didn't even hear them. "Are you really-" The whisper was cut off. "Michael. Shut up." Erika turned, mulling over her plans as she leaped off the top of the castle and landed gracefully on a rock some place below. "Ma'm..." She glanced over a young lycan, ho was unsure about how to get her attention. "what is your wishes for the humans we caught..." He gestured at the helicopter. "Bring them back with us for now." Her eyes lifted to the sky, there was no sight of their prey anymore. "you know where they'll go..." A voice whispered as the hybrid form of Michael stepped from the shadows, standing beside Erika. "Yes. I know..." Her voice was still sharp, angered. "Be still; we still has one thing to our advantage. Selene Believes Marcus killed me, and so does Marcus..." He let his voice trail off, letting her mind fill with plans. Michael grinned. It was so easy to get people to trust him...

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	2. Falling into Place

Well, heres chapter two, with some angst/ (almost) fluff between our two favorite characters. Not much in the line of plor revealing; but some questions are answered. Next update by the end of the week; enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Underworld, or its characters.

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**Chapter Two:**  
Falling into Place.

The winged formed of a hybrid elder circled in the skies above a small village. His eyes darting to the sun that would arise in the distance and down to the woman in his arms; she had slipped into a sleep; a blood deprived stage. He could sense the difference in her remaining blood; it wasn't the same as he tasted but hours ago. He landed with an eerie grace behind the barn of an old farm; the soft noise of animals greeted his sensitive ears. His wings flexed forward, slashing the lock open and pulling the door open. He slipped in with the shadows and the door closed behind him.

With growl at the thought of what he was belittled to, he surveyed the barn with a loathing detest. 'It will have to do...' was all he muttered as his wings lifted a thick horse blanket off the side of a stable stall and tossed it down over a mound of hay. He laid Selene down on it, and stood back to assess the visual extend of her wounds. Most of them where healing now, but slowly. With blood she would heal faster. He glanced at his own body, dried with blood but his wounds sealed completely. Ah, the benefits of being a few thousand years old. He turned to the animals with in the barn; his eyes fell to that of a horse. He looked away from it; the mare was with calf. He was never one to end young life.

His eyes fell onto that of a pig, and he looked away out of pure disgust. Never. He would never belittle himself, nor would he belittle Selene. His eyes lifted, and a grin formed on his twisted lips. The sight of bats sleeping in the rafters above warmed his hate for this place. He lifted a wing, a soft unheard screech leaving his lips. The bats stirred from sleep, sending out soft echoes and seeing the form of a beast below them. They recognized the kin, and males fell from their perch. They fluttered down attaching to the offered wing and made soft clicking noises. Marcus width held the urge to smile as he ran a hand over their silvery fur. "You're going to help me my little friends... Quickly." His voice was soft, so as not to wake the woman but feet away.

The morning rose to fright among morals. Several recalled the flutter of bat wings and the hulking form of a larger creature. Others recalled the sharp pain of a bite, while others dismissed it as a crazy dream. The farmer of that old barn was suspicious to the broken pad lock, slashed apart, but nothing was missing in his barn. A few more bats then normal... But he didn't venture in to the loft above; he had tried once, and the bats had turned wild on him. He checked on the mare, mulling over why she seemed more stress then normal. Her eyes rolled upwards to wards the loft. But the farmer just patted her softy, leaving her a feed of oats. He left a small bucket of slop for the pig, which was done even before the farmer re-closed the door.

It was a good thing the farmer had not ventured up into the loft. The large form of a bat like creature hung off the rafters like his kin. A woman held to his chest and his wings wrapped around both of them like a barrier from the world. He was half a sleep; but yet not a sleep at all. His body had been allowed to slip into a coma like state, but his mind and spirit where wide awake, his senses easily keeping tract of the enemies that where trying to locate them. Content that would not be found; he let his mind join his body. But his spirit stayed awake, sensitive to everything, waiting for a sign of danger so he could flee or fight...

Fast Forward

It was late in the afternoon, the sky above swirling with the setting colors of the sun. Twilight was upon the village, which had calmed down since the morning. The bats of the barn awoke with the moon and filled the air as they escaped into the night in search of food. Other creatures of the night stirred, but they did not take flight.

Selene awoke to the rustle of wings, many wings. She instantly became aware of the fact, she was hanging upside down, and the sent of a hybrid was all over her. The scent was familiar, she could have mistaken it for Michael; but her memory came to her, and she snarled. The wings around her slipped open, the creature holding her letting her free. She landed, backing away from him with a cold hate in her eyes. "Marcus." Her voice was a dark hiss; he was not affected by her reaction to him.

"Selene." His voice was deep, but twisted from the form of his hybrid body. His wings folded at his back as he released his grasp on the rafter. His wings instantly flared open to catch his body, and he landed gracefully on his clawed feet. His wings closed down at his back once more. They stayed silent, Selene watching him with the urge to attack and run. Marcus impassively watched her watching him. "If you're waiting for me to attack, you are sadly mistaken." Marcus walked forward, but didn't near Selene. Instead his hybrid form shrunk around him, and he stood at the edge of the loft in his human appearance. "We should make haste. They will be on to us soon."

Selene stood behind him, staring at him with a mix of anger and confusion. Her choice was her anger. She lunged at him, to find he was not where he should have been. She nearly fell over the edge of the loft, but she caught her self, leaping off it instead. Her eyes fell onto Marcus who was standing below looking up at her with a disapproving frown. She landed in front of him, moving to attack, but there was nothing but thin air in front of her. "Coward. Fight me." She growled after him, looking up to see him walking out of the barn, and she bit down on her anger at his ignorance. She went after him; not about to let him go so easy. "Mar-" A hand slipped around her mouth silenceing her and pulled her against the wall of the barn before she could even step into the night right.

"shh..." Marcus lifted his free hand, gesturing to wards the farmers house, where the lights where still on, and the old man stood in the door way looking out at his barn with suspicion. "If we break out into a fight here, the whole of this village will be aware something isn't right. And i they /i will find us much more easily." His voice was low, soft for her to hear only. He felt Selene repressing her anger. "You need to learn control; you need to train those new abilities of yours" He felt her relax, but still tense; she didn't trust him, he knew it, and respected her for it. "You know.." Selene whispered the statement; not a question. "Yes. My fathers blood has made you something new, an advanced form of what you once where. You can use this to your advantage, or it can ultimately be your destruction..." He lowered his head closer to hers; the farmer had left his house, and was approaching the barn.

"You killed Michael..." she whispered softly, as if wanting to awake from a dream. "An act I regret doing. He was the only other of my kind... But I do not believe I killed him in every sense of the word... I do not like to see the blood of my own family spilt..." he whispered softly, lower his head eve closer, his body against hers. His lips pressed to her neck. "Be still." his voice like the wind against her skin. "The mortal approaches, I'd like to leave here with none knowing we where here." he slowly let his arms surround her, pleased when she caught on to his ruse and wrapped his arms around his neck.

"You there! Explain why you're on my property." The human who spoke was tall and muscled. His appearance most likely intimidating to others of his kind, but the immortals before him were not phased. A flash light shone over them, and the farmer snorted at their positions. His voice a disgusting sound that annoyed both of them. "Sir; we are merely passing by. Let our presence bother you not." Marcus spoke with a voice that was deep, enchanting. He raised his head from Selene's shoulder, his eyes flashing with red; not the blue that Selene's could turn. His eyes bored into those of the humans and the man nodded numbly, seemingly under a trance. "Yes... Well; there's a boarding house in the village. You youngsters need not catch cold out here in the dark trying to hide your affections..." the mans voice was slurred now, like he was under the influence of a drug. The man turned and walked back off to his house. Marcus never blinked until the man was back with in his house.

"How did you..." Selene asked, blinking at what she had just witnessed. Marcus pulled away from her, not before placing a soft kiss to her neck. "Like I said; you need to train your new abilities... I can teach you, in time... Manipulating the weaker is an easy thing." he spoke softly, grinning at the icy look be received for having been so close. "You said... Michael might not be dead..." Her tone was careful, guarded. Marcus only looked up at the sky and the moon caused his eyes to almost glow. "I did not wound him mortally. He should have recovered from the blow I struck him..." He let his words die off; not wanting to tell her exactly what he was speculating.

"What are you getting at...You think he faked his own death?" Her voice was controlled, but the anger in it directed towards him was like a knife through the tension between them. "You said that; not me." He whispered, his eyes falling suddenly to the forest in the distance. He had seen a light, and his senses flared outwards. "We're being observed." he commented before she could throw another mental batter at him. Selene quieted, letting her eyes trace the path his had made. She scowled, for not sensing it herself.

"Its time to leave; they're near." There was no question left in his voice, his body shifted, growing larger. His bones cracked as his eyes dilated, his skin turned grey, then started to almost glow white in the moon light. His face contracted, almost looking like that of a bats; his ears pointing to a tip. He didn't flinch as his jaw shifted, jutting out slightly. Last, his wings ripped through his back, droplets of blood spraying the air. "Leave?" Selene ventured to question when he had finished transforming.

"Yes, unless you wish to face your comrades alone." His voice had spoken with sarcasm, knowing she cared little for any of them. "How do suggest we 'leave'?" she corrected, not moving her eyes from the trees; as if expecting a pack of werewolf's to spring out and down onto her. "Simple." at the amusement in his voice, she really should have been ready for his next movements.

She voiced her displeasure with a soft hiss when his arms surrounded her. A growl from his throat caused her to quite. "The air is an advantage we have on them." He spoke softly to her, as if he had felt bad for having to growl at her. What ever he felt, it was gone by the time he pulled them into the night, and soared off, having no trouble with her extra weight. A grin pulled his lips when her arms automatic slid around his neck, as if she thought he'd take pleasure in dropping her.

After a moment or two of uncomfortable silence, Selene ventured to break this silence. "Why?" what she meant by it, she wasn't even sure. "Why...?" Marcus asked, more to himself; trying to figure out what exactly she meant, and why she had broken the silence. "Yes, why." Selene spoke as if she didn't know how he couldn't know what she meant. His silence could have been taken rather cute as he looked down at her in confusion; well, cute if his face wasn't warped by his hybrid blood. "Why am I alive." she asked softly, her eyes on the moon far above them. He knew what she meant now. The unspoken meaning was a dagger to his dead heart. 'Why did you kill William'?

His silence made Selene almost regret having asked, but just before she was about to speak (rather to apologize or change the subject would not be known) he spoke. "I lost a brother. I gained a blood-sister... and at least you won't attack me... with out cause." he added the ending knowing it to be perfectly true. "You are alive because I do not wish to see any more blood. I want these pathetic fights between vampire and Lycan to stop. My father believed in you; and I wish to see what you can do."

"A father you killed." She spoke it harshly, perhaps more harshly then she had meant; her breath caught. He was an Elder, and deserved her respect regardless... But she found herself unable to hold back retorts. "I wounded him. He killed himself." The voice was empty; the subject of his family's death to his own hands was chilling his already dead heart even more. He felt her repress the shiver that his voice had caused. "If you live; you could rebuild a family..." her voice trailed off, as if she realized she was speaking to try comfort him. He looked down at her with a look on his warped face that could have been a smile, or a grin. "Offering?" his voice was suggestive, and it earned him a hard glare. He chuckled at that look, the emptiness gone as he observed the female in his arms. "Hardly." Selene forced out over her a mix of anger and confusion; perhaps a taint of embarrassment. Marcus's grin widened at the tone in her voice. "Feisty, powerful and beautiful, a fine mate." He was subjected to another icy glare. "If you weren't flying at 200MPh..." Selene's dry comment arose laughter from him; she could feel the vibration against her body. Neither of them seemed to notice how easy their mental batters where when they weren't trying to kill each other...

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